THE TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE
what is to prevent her becoming a mother and thereby compelling her unwilling mate to continue with her in a family marriage? Will he be happy? Will he not strive to break away?
Does not the character of men and women who enter into marriage have a great deal to do with its happiness or unhappiness? And is not the supreme thing the need to change human character?
The remedy would not seem to be to tear down the barriers of protection to human rights that now exist. Marriage will continue to be imperfect as long as the people entering it are imperfect. We can improve it only as we improve people.
And now what would the probable effect be upon the minds of young people if told that living together as man and wife, without the necessity to continue as such, was the law of the land? Would it not be apt to stimulate promiscuous sex indulgence? Young people would say, even as now they have been known to say when strongly tempted, "Marriage is after all only a form;" and the result would be complete demoralization in society with no forms at all. Unbridled lust would rule. Now we have public opinion and law to uphold the custom of a permanent marriage and make it seem to be a marriage.
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